View full sizeNike plans to expand its operations in Oregon and hire hundreds more workers. The athletic footwear and apparel giant is determining where that expansion will take place.Torsten Kjellstrand / The Oregonian

Patrick Quinton, executive director of the Portland Development Commission, is expected to sign documents Monday requesting the state expand an Enterprise Zone to include an area that Nike is believed to be considering for expansion.

Quinton's action is a necessary step following the Portland City Council's voted Dec. 13 to approve a resolution designating 29.2 acres of South Waterfront as part of an existing enterprise zone. The boundary change would allow Nike to obtain five-year tax abatements for a new, job-creating development.

While the City Council needed to take that vote, the PDC is the E-Zone manager for the city of Portland.

It has taken nearly a month for Quinton to sign the documents because of a series of checklist requirements, the latest of which was awaiting the Port of Portland's approval, which has been obtained, PDC spokesman Shawn Uhlman said today.

The application packet will be sent to Business Oregon, the state's economic development agency. Once in hand, the state is likely to approve the application in a matter of days, said Marc Zolton, Business Oregon spokesman.

Nike is considering where to expand in Oregon to relieve tight quarters for an expanding workforce of about 8,000. Three sites -- the South Waterfront on property owned by the Zidell family, Nike-owned property near the existing World Headquarters campus and the 15-acre Con-way property in Northwest Portland -- are believed to be contenders.

Oregon legislators eased Nike's path to expansion by adopting a bill Dec. 14 allowing the governor to negotiate an agreement with the company freezing its existing state tax structure for 30 years if it invests at least $150 million to create 500 more jobs in Oregon within five years. Kitzhaber signed the agreement Dec. 17.